The highest ever number of cases in Ireland was reported yesterday.
The government is set to make a decision on the return to full Level 5 restrictions later today.
In an emergency Cabinet meeting, the government will decided whether Ireland will return to March-like restrictions as cases of Covid-19 continue to rise.
Yesterday the Department of Health reported 1,546 new cases of coronavirus, the highest ever daily figure in Ireland.
Currently, the country is operating under amended Level 5 restrictions, which has allowed for the opening of non-essential retail and home visits from one other household.
Full Level 5 restrictions would shut all non-essential retail and ban household visits entirely. It would also likely lead to a restriction on travel outside of a designated radius.
Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today that the government is likely to take NPHET’s advice as they consider removing the amendments to Level 5.
“We are at a very serious juncture,” he said. A decision will be made at today’s unscheduled Cabinet meeting and announced soon after.
This comes after the first person in Ireland was vaccinated against Covid-19. 79-year-old Annie Lynch, from Dublin, received the vaccine in St James’s Hospital yesterday afternoon. She said she felt “delighted” and “privileged” to receive the jab.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn tweeted yesterday saying that despite the positive news, it will take some time before the effects of the vaccine are felt.
“The start of our Covid-19 vaccination programme is a very significant positive milestone,” he said. “But vaccines will not positively impact on the profile of this disease in Ireland in the coming weeks.
“Today we reported the highest number of daily cases (1,546) since the start of this pandemic. Tonight, there are more people in hospital with Covid-19 (411) than at any point since last May and admissions are rising very quickly.”
